All posts by Kusang

Kusang audible artifact

I choose the song, “Leaving on a jet plane” by John Denver, which is a sad romantic song and I can relate it on some point with our recent course “Vietgone”, a play written by Qui neng chen.

On one hand, this play shows the story of a guy name, Quang who is a pilot. He have a wife and two children but he had to leave them behind in vietnam during the the vietnamese war and was not able to go back because his helicopter was thrown into the sea by the American to make space for other aircrafts. Even though he have a chance to live peacefully in America, he still has a hope to fly back to vietnam to see his wife and children. In the play, Quang mentioned, “My country’s now fallen, a new mission’s now calling, America’s withdrawn, my call’s to finally come home and Trade in my gun for my son, my soldier’s life is now done Got 99 problems, but the war ain’t one I’ll hold my kids in my arms again—Do you hear me? Nothing stopping me—easily—Do you feel me? My family’s gonna be with me—Do you see me? Gonna make it back to my home—even if it kills me..” It shows that he still have a hope and still believing that he will fly back home to see his wife and children.

On the other hand, the song “leaving on a jet plane” by John Denver is also about a guy going to a war and he is not sure when he will be back again to see his love. In this song, it says “Oh, kiss me and smile for me, Tell me that you’ll wait for, me Hold me like you’ll never let me go, ‘Cause I’m leaving’ on a jet plane, Don’t know when I’ll be back again, Oh babe, I hate to go, But, I’m leaving’ on a jet plane, Don’t know when I’ll be back again, Oh babe, I hate to go.” He has to leave with no choice but he don’t want to go and stay apart from his love. It shows that he has a hope to see his love again but not sure when that time will be. Therefore we can totally relate it with Vietgone, consiquences made them far away yet hope to see their love ones.

Sorry, blame it on me

“Sorry, blame it on me”- A beautiful song by Akon from mid 2007 and became one of my favourite song since my high school. The title itself hold its bold message and it often reminds me of a certain time of my sister when she was going through tremendous issue. Somehow, I can relate this song with my past experience with my sister.

On one hand, this song is all about asking forgiveness and regretting about the past that cannot be changed. Singer Akon wrote this song after the nightclub incident in which he did a sexual dance with an underage girl that he was unknown of. It turned out to be a huge disaster in many people’s life including that young girl who was embarrassed from her parents and society for her action with the singer. Also his friend, Gwen Stefani’s which he was schedule to be a support act for “the Sweet escape tour” lost a three million sponsorship from Verizon Wireless because of that incident which got viral. Akon said on Associated press, “I want to sincerely apologize for the embarrassment and any pain I’ve caused to the young woman who joined me on stage, her family and the Trinidad community for the events at my concert.” He has beautifully mentioned all those small details in his song and in the end of the song, he mentioned “I am just a singer trying to entertain, because I love my fans, I’ll take that blame, even though the blames on you and I will take that blame from you.” In other words, he agreed to take all the blames from the young girl who was embarrassed from their parents and society by her action with him.

However, my experience from my sister incident was not exactly like the singer but I can relate it with the song. I was at my highschool away from my home when it all happened. My sister completed her high school and she always wanted to continue her education and career in foreign country like US or UK. She applied for the visa in most of foreign countries for her further education but it got denied for some reason. She was frustrated with the idea of not getting to live her career in foreign country but my father offered her to start her own business in Nepal. It was not long after my father opened a small business for her but then they found out that she got pregnant from her boyfriend. We used to live in a small community where everyone knows and familiar with each other and in our country, getting pregnant before marriage is a biggest embarrassment for the family. My family wanted her for the abortion but her boyfriend want to keep and raise the child. She was going through hell from all the pressure from family, her boyfriend, her career and from pregnancy as well. As her brother, I was not there to support her at the time she needed me the most. She tried to call me but our highschool did not allow cell phone. I was unknown of anything that was happening in her life. When I got back, I found out that she was taken to the hospital due to depression.

In the beginning of the song, it says,” I’m sorry for the times I left you home,I was on the road and you were alone, I’m sorry for the times that I had to go, I’m sorry for the fact that I did not know” and in the end,”Even though the blames on you, I’ll take that blame from you.” However, I feels the same way as song described. I feels terrible that I wasn’t there for her when she needed me the most and I am always  sorry about it and If I can, I will take all the blame, suffer, embarrassment from her.